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Friday, July 20, 2012

My Current Face & Body Cleansers featuring KUU Konjac Sponges

Hi all ^^ This post is going to be about the face and body cleansers which I currently use and are suitable for sensitive skin. My face nor my body (lol, fortunately) will be shown in this post and as an alternative I'll be showing you Hello Kitty's pretty face:

It's my new mirror which I purchased from Morning Glory for $5 when they were having their anniversary 50% off storewide sale. I've been looking for a mirror that stands up on its own and can swivel around - it's perfect for doing my skincare/makeup routine.

I know that people might be a bit 'ew' about Hello Kitty which is understandable because really, you'd either love her or hate her. Regardless of whether this was Hello Kitty or some other cute cartoon's face, I still would have gotten it. I'm not a big Hello Kitty fan and I don't mind her. I like the pink :)

Sensitive skin can be both high and low maintenance. Low because a good, suitable moisturising cream is usually all that's needed. High because this skin type is rather 'picky' - certain face products may cause an allergic reaction/rash/itchiness and therefore non-serious 'treatment' is required to reverse the effects. Sometimes I am better off using no face products.

However, along with sensitive skin I have dryness, redness, blackheads, whiteheads and the occasional pimple. I have to use skincare products to retain healthy skin but they must be ones that are gentle and recommended for sensitive skin:

As you might be able to tell, these are all small/sample-sized products. You might be thinking, 'why?' Here are my reasons:

1. I always like to 'try before I buy' however when that option is not available for skincare items, I actually do have to buy before I try.

2. When purchasing new skincare products, I would go for the smallest size. My 'picky' sensitive skin may absolutely detest a new skincare product that I try... and then I'd have to discontinue its use. It would be such a waste to chuck out a full-sized bottle.

3. I have found that sensitive skin care products tend to be a little pricier than items for normal or oily skin. Smaller bottle = cheaper.

4. Travel-friendly!

Dermalogica Daily Microexfoliant

This is recommended for all skin conditions. I got this from Liquid Hair when they were having a complementary Dermalogica skin bar facial. I seldom used exfoliators (I thought it was too harsh for my skin) until I attended the skin bar facial where the lady recommended that I used this one. It's not too harsh and it does a really good job at making my face silky-smooth afterwards!

Gaia Skincare Pink Grapefruit & Jasmine Foaming Cleanser

I found this to be gentle and despite it being for 'normal/combination skin', it also says 'sensitive skin formula', which sounds perfect for me. It has certified organic green tea and chamomile, known to have anti-inflammatory effects. I like the fruit and floral notes in the scent - my two favourite types of scents combined!

Avene Gentle Milk Cleanser

This was from the last Glossybox before it joined with Lust Have It. I was so happy when I saw this in my box because I had ALWAYS wanted to try Avene but wasn't particularly keen on spending $20+ for a product. I knew their products would be great... I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Thankfully I have now tried Avene and what can I say... I love this brand! For very dry and dry sensitive skin. Fragrance-free product.

Health Basics Soap Free Milk & Honey Body Wash

The skin on my body is not as sensitive as the skin on my face so I can make do with pretty much any body cleanser. I want to specifically mention this one because it's enriched with aloe vera to moisturise and soften skin. Aloe vera has soothing effects which works well with sensitive skin, dry skin and also sunburnt skin. I used this while I was in Sydney at the end of last year and I could tell that it definitely kept my skin soft and smooth despite being out in the sun a lot. The scent is absolutely beautiful - milk and honey ^^ This was given to me by the lovely Jen who is a blogger from New Zealand! This product was 'proudly made in NZ' by the way :)

I wish I could delve into Asian skincare products but I worry that they will be too harsh :/ Oh well... I shall continue using what I have since I haven't experienced any issues with them.

I'd like to introduce these face and body cleansing sponges that I started using about a month ago. I'll share how I found out about these and explain what they are. They're called KUU Konjac Sponges....

I was contacted by Nicola and Martin Richards who run a business in supplying cosmetics and makeup equipment at The Makeup Foundation. They are based in Brisbane, Australia and after attending a trade show, they discovered Konjac sponges and trialed them on their 18 month daughter who suffered from eczema. To their surprise, the sponge gradually helped to clear up the eczema and helped her to maintain cleared skin. They kindly offered two KUU Konjac Sponges to trial:

Red clay and pure sponge

Booklet and information cards

What are KUU Konjac Sponges and their claims?

Konjac = traditional Japanese jelly-like health food made from a type of potato called 'Konnyaku potato'

Japanese people have used konjac for more than a century, as a beauty treatment for their delicate skin

I was happy to be provided with a booklet to have more in-depth knowledge about these sponges. You can have a read of the ones that I found to be really interesting:

First I will review the sponge that is suitable for all skin types

KUU Konjac Pure Sponge

Ideal for the whole family

RRP: $8.00

String for the sponge to be hung dry

When I first took this out of the packet, I was so surprised that the sponge was already moist! That is definite proof that these Konjac sponges can in fact retain water extremely well (even after manufacture). And because of this, the sponge can be used on its own without soap. If you choose to use it with soap, only a very small amount is required to create a 'lava' due to its size and water retention ability. This sponge which seems to be forever moist will not dry out your skin - in fact it will do the opposite by leaving your skin moist. Therefore it is perfect for people with dry skin!

The pictures may be a little misleading... I mean, I'm looking at them thinking that they look hard and dense but really they're not! To me they're soft, squishy and bouncy haha.

KUU Konjac with added French Red Clay

Ideal for mature and/or dry skin that needs rejuvenating

RRP: $9.00

Looks like a rock, doesn't it?!

This is the one most suited to my sensitive, dry skin. The texture and appearance is very similar to the 'original' KUU Konjac Pure sponge. These are the differences:

Loaded with Iron Oxide - non-toxic red mineral as the pigment

Deep cleanses and exfoliates skin from the layers of dead cells

Leaves a soothing effect on irritated, sunburnt or sensitive skin

Helps with rosacea condition

Reduces appearance of fine lines and broken capillaries

In case you're curious about the red clay sponge being loaded with Iron Oxide, this is what I discovered from some small research. Without being too scientific, Iron Oxide is an inorganic non-toxic makeup colouring ingredient. Mineral makeup contains Iron Oxide which gives mineral makeup the ability to achieve a flawless look and to significantly benefit the skin. Incredible, hey? Hence this is why mineral makeup is considered 'better' and 'safer' to use, and also the best option for sensitive skin.

I interchangeably used the white and red sponge so I couldn't see a distinct difference of effect between the two but knowing that the red one was for sensitive skin, I used it for my face more than the white one, but used the white one more for my body.

I highly recommend this one for sensitive skin

If I suffered from rosacea, it would have been good to test this sponge on my skin to see if it does what it claims. Dryness will always be something that I'll suffer from so I'll be using the sponge to keep my skin hydrated as possible! The next time my skin suffers badly like allergy/rashes, I will use the red Konjac sponge.

Pros (+) and Cons (-) for both sponges:

+ Cleanses both the face and body

+ Does what they generally claim to do

+ No preservatives

+ No chemicals

+ 100% natural

+ No colours or additives

+ Sustainable and biodegradable (add to compost)

+ Suitable for all skin types

+ Perfect for infants

+ Cleanser or soap not necessary, can just add water

+ Good size, lightweight

+ Decent price

+ String for hanging

- Effects are not seen straight away - requires continued use

- Currently not readily available in Australia

Hmm.. there are really not many cons I could point out about these sponges. And even if there were, these only have a 2-3 month life span which means that I could chuck them out without hesitation. Luckily they're a keeper and I will continue to use them until they wear out! They have been a great addition to my cleansing routine.

There are two other sponges in the range - KUU Konjac with added French Green Clay (oily skin) and one for Babies:

If you would like more information about these sponges, there is a website that you can check out. And while you're there, you can also purchase them online!

A rather lengthy post as usual and I'm going to wrap it up with a questjen of the week:

Do skincare products' packaging matter to you?As in like, the bottle... do you mind if it's plain/has little colour?

My answer: Not really...

Well yeah, I am a sucker for cute/pretty packaging for everything and anything but what's more important is what's inside (applies to people too) and as long as the skincare product does what it's supposed to do and it works for me then why would it matter how it looks like on the outside? I have noticed that the majority of sensitive skin products have plain, white packaging which is not the most appealing but I can put up with it. Take Avene's packaging as an example and also the image of my cleansers!

4 comments:

ohhh avene stuff are really good <3the sponge with for sensitive/matured skin looks kinda like a very moist muffin LOLthe white one just looks so pure compared to that xDthanks for sharing your skincare products! japanese skincare tend to be more gentle and catered overall towards sensitive skin types, whereas korean skincare are more fragranced and possibly irritate sensitive skin... :)